Effects of the use of web-based tools in Blended Learning Essay

Technology has make a deep furbish up on all aspects of human lives ranging from communication to erudition and enhancing individual performance. The unoriginal classroom is slowly world replaced by computer found educate and online subscribe to purlieus that has penetrated remote corners of the globe via the Internet. The utilize of development and communication technologies in education has transformed traditionalistic methods of nurture and teaching practices.The personalized nurture environment offered by the online medium has great potentials and jackpot influence the acquire mold to a considerable extent. Technology has been a great enabler of transforming and re-defining the course a system operates and the wide variety of applications that it end support. M some(prenominal) mesh contrive based education environments part innovative technologies that have revolutionized the scholarship mathematical process over the past few years. Distance accomplis hment with the use of collaborative tools and technologies available has made significant breakthroughs in the business line of instruction.In the past few decades a number of tools and technologies have emerged that has enabled the users to adopt place training courses and training departments atomic number 18 using it to provide cost effectual centre of implementing training and development programs for their employees spread across the globe. The online training environment is supported by various types of tools that provide high take of interactivity and collaborative features alter participants to change messages, files, icons and presentations.This kind of technology is to a greater extent than and more being apply in a wide range of applications ranging from facilitating electronic discussion amongst schoolchilds to enabling distance learning programs through weather vane conferencing. The revolution in communication and education technology has had a pro found effect on the teaching and learning process. The change is visible in developing learning communities online. Most of the countries and even developing economies are stressing on the use of computers as an instructional medium.E learning encompasses a wide variety of tools and technologies that can be used to stimulate the learning process in an individual. With the divine service of this technology a variety of online learning services are made available ranging from online searches, tutorials, college courses, and professional courses to professional training and individual development programs. The E learning model adopts high level of audio and video fundamental interaction integrated with graphics and animation tool to present the learning module in an attractive format.Educational institutions and business organizations are increasingly adopting the e learning model for learning and training purposes. E learning is being increasingly used as a solution for delivering on line learning heedless of physical locations or time constraints. The whole world has become an increasingly connected global community that can share ideas and exchange instruction through the Internet.More people across the globe are go towards the latest technology gadgets that have made communication channels fast and faster. It has proved to be a big resource for individuals who would want to learn a virgin skill or train themselves in new fields while pursuing their current employment. Hence, E learning field has provided new and better learning opportunities extending its reach beyond university campus and corporate learning centres. Blended learning an overviewBlended learning has been described as a phrase introduced by the distance learning community in recognizing the harbor of synchronous learning activities, like face to face interactions with instructors and collaborative crap with helpmates, as complements to activities performed asynchronously by individual learners (Howard et al. , 2006). The blended learning system includes two web based learning and traditional classroom learning environment. The web based learning system provides the students with self paced learning modules that they can practise at leisure and convenience depending on their learning capacity.This learning environment also provides E learning tools that enable live discussions and online learning programs. The conventional classroom settings are used to clarify doubts and queries regarding the course content and student progress. An in effect(p) learning environment facilitates interaction amid the learners that increases the scope to exchange ideas and opinions, share experiences and assess their level of understanding on the subject matter.A classroom environment provides this kind of face to face interaction enabling the students sharing the same learning goals to coordinate with each other, communicate their ideas and teaching. Jonassen (1988) has decl ared in his works that the effectiveness of any learning environment is based on the types and levels of cognitive and metacognitive activity engendered in the learners. It is widely accepted that learning is set upd in instructional settings where students are engaged in touch personally relevant content and are reflective during the learning process.Learners that inscribe in active learning activities find learning a more pleasurable and increasingly effective than engaging in monotonous chew up sessions. Online learning provides the learners with the scope to explore the topics and study related theories that increase their level of understanding. The key ingredient to a successful computer based learning application is its ability to interact with the student and direct the flow of learning in accordance with the student capability. The visibility and presentation of information through attention grabbing graphics and multimedia tool make this a more effective learning plat form.Once the attention of the student is on the learning tool the application needs to stimulate the learners infrequency that in turn leads to search for answers and in-depth study of the learning module. The most effective teaching method involves a high level of interaction between the teacher and the student. A dedicated teacher is one who understands the students learning capacity and his shortcomings and guides him through with effective feedback. A two-way communication between the teacher and the student is very effective in the learning process.Computer based learning applications are continually striving to bring home the bacon the human to human interactivity level and have been quite successful in this venture with the aid of multimedia based technologies. Blended learning combines the despotic aspects of both conventional classroom learning and online learning to provide an enriching learning experience to the students. Web-based tools There are wide varieties of co mputer-mediated communications technologies that enable care and support E learning. These tools have facilitated extensive collaboration and communication protocols providing an enriched learning environment.Some of these tools are email, chat, video conferencing, web conferencing, newsgroup, blogs, forums, virtual classrooms, and message boards. synchronous and asynchronous tools E learning is commonly referred to the international use of networked information and communications technology in teaching and learning. It refers to educational processes that utilize information and communications technology to mediate asynchronous as well as synchronous learning and teaching activities (Naidu, 2006). Both synchronous and asynchronous tools can be used effectively to communicate, exchange and form ideas and information on a specific subject matter.Synchronous E learning is live, legitimate time facilitated instruction, and learning oriented interaction that enables learners to use el ectronic means to collaborate and participate in live forums. The root of synchronous E learning has been derived from three main influences the classroom, the media, and the conference. The virtual classroom uses highly interactional forms of synchronous E learning tools to simulate a conventional classroom environment. White-board, discussion rooms, and break come on areas are some of the concepts used to enhance interactivity between learners in a virtual classroom.Naidu (2006) also observes that most of the applications are built around the synchronous learning model that makes use of tools like virtual learning environment, rapid E learning, web casting, web conferencing, video conferencing, webinars, live E learning, and e conferencing. These synchronous E learning tools helper in connecting dispersed learners, facilitating real time interaction and collaboration, fostering a sense of immediacy and co-presence, developing a learning community, and enabling devil to subject matter expert resources.This kind of learning environment rules out gender and personality dominance that tends to overpower in a traditional classroom setting. It encourages learners towards better teamwork, collaboration skills, strong motivation and extended peer support (Naidu, 2006). Asynchronous tools like emails, electronic forums, online discussions, blogs, provide a platform for students and teachers to discuss ideas and opinions on a specific topic.This form of E learning is commonly facilitated by media such as email and discussion boards, supports work relations among learners with teachers, even when participants cannot be online at the same time (Hrastinski, 2008). This provides a form of flexibility to the learners since they can access learning materials and information any time according to their convenience. The learners can log on to an E learning environment and access training materials, receive and send messages to peers and tutors. In high education, learner s can pursue online courses while taking care of other commitments.Asynchronous E learning tools have the advantage of enabling users to access information and pursue their subject matter with greater degree of concentration allowing the head teacher to process the information at leisure. However, it also has some significant drawbacks that include greater learner discipline since the learner has to take initiatives to login and make use of the information and tasks involved in learning process. This kind of learning process is more impersonal and isolated as compared to synchronous learning tools that enable live interaction (Ashley, 2003).